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--- urban_permaculture_kits [2008-04-08 14:38] – sanjeev
+++ urban_permaculture_kits [2008-04-30 11:35] – sanjeev
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 Note: The proposals and thoughts given below are diverse and vary from long term complex interventions to short term product solutions. The time range is variable too, from few years to few decades. Some of these proposals could directly feed the {sym} trajectory of GroWorld while others would be more suitable to the {bio} trajectory with GroWorld.
-. To create **unbound spaces** and explore a new language for urbanism, architecture and spatial semantics. It would challenge existing perceptions and mental constructs. It would create systems for generating such spaces which draw upon the adaptive, diverse, organic, cyclical and holistic sense of ecological existence. These spaces would 'begin' in virtual realms(films, cyber games, ARG) and would gradually 'emerge' in physical reality to be habitable. They would draw on the fields of biomimetic design, evolving responsive environments, active and composite materials, nanotecture, swarm intelligence, cognition and smart textiles. Exploring knots, bundles and weaves at an urban scale could be an interesting direction. Beyond the visual and experiential aspect, a crucial question would be, 'How can the architecture become an ecological performer?' This is currently being termed as //econic design// and ongoing explorations include adaptive nature, growing structures, living technologies, materials as nutrients, pollinating energy and ultimately simulated eco-systems. Over few decades, self sustaining and self replicating, organic forested growth in cities would replace existing linear and structured planning. This would be a new city, best understood in stratas and layers. At a macro level the layers would work like a forest, with a permeable, playful organic canopy enveloping the cityscape. At the ground level, we would have a unifying and fertile 'soil' layer with no roads, no side walks, no rectangular grids, no partitions. A new biological carpet like urban fabric would emerge. The grid would be redefined. Cars and lifts would not be anything like what is seen today, they would be self adjusting intelligent systems which move vertically and horizontally, just like ants. They would communicate in a manner which could be based on swarm intelligence. Everything would be interconnected and these linkages would be clearly evident to everyone. Over time, with cities becoming increasingly forested and organic, one city could support the other in case of a disaster or sudden shift in resource need. There could be heat transfer to Brussels from Madrid during the winters, or water diversion from a high rainfall area to a drought stricken area.
+. To create **unbound spaces** and explore a new language for urbanism, architecture and spatial semantics. It would challenge existing perceptions and mental constructs. It would create systems for generating such spaces which draw upon the adaptive, diverse, organic, cyclical and holistic sense of ecological existence. These spaces would 'begin' in virtual realms(films, cyber games, ARG) and would gradually 'emerge' in physical reality to be habitable. They would draw on the fields of biomimetic design, evolving responsive environments, active and composite materials, nanotecture, swarm intelligence, cognition and smart textiles. Exploring knots, bundles and weaves at an urban scale could be an interesting direction. Beyond the visual and experiential aspect, a crucial question would be, 'How can the architecture become an ecological performer?' This is currently being termed as //econic design// and ongoing explorations include adaptive nature, growing structures, living technologies, materials as nutrients, pollinating energy and ultimately simulated eco-systems.((http://www.di.net/videos/the_new_species_architecture/))((http://www.di.net/videos/econic_design_new_paradigm_for/)) Over few decades, self sustaining and self replicating, organic forested growth in cities would replace existing linear and structured planning. This would be a new city, best understood in stratas and layers. At a macro level the layers would work like a forest, with a permeable, playful organic canopy enveloping the cityscape. At the ground level, we would have a unifying and fertile 'soil' layer with no roads, no side walks, no rectangular grids, no partitions. A new biological carpet like urban fabric would emerge. The grid would be redefined. Cars and lifts would not be anything like what is seen today, they would be self adjusting intelligent systems which move vertically and horizontally, just like ants. They would communicate in a manner which could be based on swarm intelligence. Everything would be interconnected and these linkages would be clearly evident to everyone. Over time, with cities becoming increasingly forested and organic, one city could support the other in case of a disaster or sudden shift in resource need. There could be heat transfer to Brussels from Madrid during the winters, or water diversion from a high rainfall area to a drought stricken area.
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 . **Live threads**: A natural fibre string (possibly a locally available material: jute or coconut husk) which holds seed balls and can be strung between buildings. With time the seeds germinate and we have suspended plantations. Interesting possibilities could result over time with plants growing at an angle or upside down. The kit could actually pick up on the way prayer beads and flower garlands are assembled in India and would be an interesting add on to the existing trend of seed-balling.
-. To have ubiquitous planting we can create a series of green tiles which can be used in a modular manner in the construction and automobile industry. _ **a green brick**_ a brick which breathes and lives like a plant_ you could call it a plant tile too: a properly designed intelligent green organic modular brick which can have a range of plants/seeds which can be incorporated in it based on the city/geographic location it is being used in, like any other modular brick ( for example a hollow concrete block ) this would find direct use in the construction industry and go with curtain walls/acoustic panels/aluminium sections/glass blocks. This will not be an add on like the current trend of bio-climatic walls but would be a structural repetitive element which would be like a green virus. The facade itself would be like one majestic green skin, made up of a thousand green tiles and a city would be associated with these green tiles and the specific plants they give life to. Scores of barren concrete walls which are commonly seen in cities like Dubai, Brussels, New York would give way to entire exuberant and fertile communities... known as ''Orchid city'' or ''Jasmine city'' or ''Tulip city''.
+. To create a green tipping point, the researcher proposes the design of a green, intelligent, modular, structural, climate specific 'brick' which would have specific native plants and/or seeds integrated with it.  The 'plant tile' would act like a **living brick**, integrated with the building structure and in the process trigger ubiquitous greens and diverse layers of green clusters within a city. This would gradually transform the city's infrastructure into a productive, healthy, edible and playful green fabric; a vision which goes beyond manicured lawns, horticultural imports, bonsai's and golf parks. The proposal strives to bring back native plants at the core of our daily life by integrating them with the built form and other symbols of 'growth' within a city.
-The form of the tiles could be inspired from the field of biomimetics and would be strategically adapted to solve pressing problems specific to urban realms:
+People will buy this off the shelf and use it directly in construction, just the way conventional bricks and concrete blocks are used today. This would not be an add on. It will be indispensable for constructing any habitat. It could be integrated with curtain walls/acoustic panels/aluminium sections/glass blocks/concrete slabs and become part of the building structure. It could be used inside or outside.  Over time, cities would have innumerable green tiles and become associated with the diverse plants they give life to. Barren concrete walls, commonly seen in cities like Dubai, Brussels, New York would give way to exuberant and fertile green communities.
-* Generate fragrance to counter foul smell of urine or rotting garbage which is so common in Delhi (e.g.: using queen of the night)
-* Predate on pests and act as repellents for termites (Lantana is a pest repellent)
-* Absorb noise and act as acoustic buffers. They could even generate light(bioluminescence)
-* Become a source of nutrients, vitamins and herbal medicine ( Leucus aspara cures bronchitis and asthma, Lia Indica cures ulcers
-* Become a source of additional revenue (Flowering plants and natural herbs like acaranthus used by dentists)
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-The message here is, //we will not step back//, we will not cut back on the scale and pace of growth in urban realms but we //can// feed life and fertility into that growth and make it a green growth.
+The choice of plants could be adapted to address pressing challenges within a city:
+  * The bricks could become a source of nutrition, vitamins and herbal medicine. They could together create home herbal gardens(Leucus aspera cures bronchitis and asthma, Lia Indica cures ulcers, amaranthus is used by dentists). Each home could become an independent seed bank, a space for abundant biological exploration and a living, evolving bio-archive.
+  * The integral plants could pre-date on pests and act as repellents for termites thereby substituting currently used chemical solutions(Lantana is a pest repellent)
+  * They could together create a green cushion which absorbs noise and acts as an acoustic buffer
+  * They could generate fragrance to counter foul smell of rotting garbage and urine which is common in numerous Indian cities (e.g. integrating epiphyllum oxypetalum, commonly known as 'queen of the night' with the tile)
+  * They could act as green filters creating protective micro climates in polluted urban realms, much like the delightful and defiant growth which emerges through the building cracks in dilapidated and derelict urban settings.
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+The message here is, //we will not step back//, we will not cut back on the scale and pace of growth in urban realms but we //can// feed life and fertility into that growth and make it a green growth. For more details on the proposal please click ono the following link: {{:green_brick_acadia.pdf|}}
 . The next stage of the green tile could be to create an **enhanced, biorenewable moss tile**. This could be self replicating and possibly generate electricity by acting as sun catchers. By behaving as water retainers they could also contribute to regulating the ambient temperature. Existing building skins would gradually be replaced by these tiles.
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 . **Seed Spot Project**
-Background: //Rural vs Urban//: During the course of this journey, the researcher has begun to question the proposed duality between rural and urban. Instead of partitioning and segmenting one field or one reality from the other, our true strength lies in synthesising both realities. We need to create a new reality. //We need to involve and evolve the city with the country people//. We need to create linkages. We need to have cities which have 'villages' or rural spaces growing and thriving within them and we need to have villages which have 'cities' or 'city like spaces' thriving within them. Can we imagine urban inhabitants looking out their of windows onto rice paddies and vegetable gardens, and beyond to forested and natural resource lands?
+Background: //Rural vs Urban//: During the course of this journey, the researcher has begun to question the proposed duality between rural and urban. Instead of partitioning and segmenting one field or one reality from the other, our true strength lies in synthesising both realities. We need to create a new reality. We need to create strong linkages between rural and urban systems. We need to have cities which have 'villages' or rural spaces growing and thriving within them. Can we imagine urban inhabitants looking out their of windows onto rice paddies and vegetable gardens, and beyond to forested and natural resource lands? Certain parts of Delhi( e.g. Chandni Chowk) and Bombay(e.g. pigeon feeding spots) create a sense of absolute 'rural' time and space. Could these edges, dual character spaces be catalysts for growth? Can a city be fragmented into time zones relative to its sense of speed or spatial quality, wherein, zones which are in a greater state of flux or have a more //structured// feel become closer to an 'urban' definition and are therefore treated differently?
-During his travels to remote rural parts, the researcher sometimes wonders if the experience is real? How could both experiences be real and how could he feel a part of two seemingly different spatial, mental constructs? Certain parts of Delhi( e.g. Chandni Chowk) and Bombay(pigeon feeding spots) create a sense of absolute 'rural' time and space for him. Are these pure mental constructs or is their a defining physical, tangible element? Could these edges, dual character spaces be catalysts for growth, especially as they are constantly being redrawn? Can a city be fragmented into time zones relative to its sense of speed or spatial quality, wherein, zones which are in a greater state of flux or have a more //structured// feel become closer to an 'urban' definition and are therefore treated differently?
-This constant and complimentary force defines Indian cities. A city's bedrock are its variables, its idiocyncracies, the changes in its character, the constant state of flux. This makes it heterogenous, dynamic, resilient and self sustaining. It must not be simple. It should thrive in complexity. This would be ecologically sound and economically profitable. So the question should be, can we introduce complexity? And if we can, then how should we do it? One of the principles of creating a complex, self sustaining system is to relinquish power. People should be given tools to create their own change.
+This constant and complimentary force defines Indian cities. A city is defined by its variables, its idiocyncracies, the changes in its character and the constant state of flux. This makes it heterogenous, dynamic, resilient and self sustaining. It should thrive in complexity. So the question should be, can we introduce complexity? And if we can, then how should we do it? One of the principles of creating a complex, self sustaining system is to relinquish power. People should be given tools to create their own change. We could start with an attempt to declare spaces within a city as '**community seed spots**' which are owned by everyone. The idea is inspired by the communal get togethers of village heads in India. Called the '//panchayat//', here everyone sits under a tree and discusses village issues. Located in urban public areas, these spots would be periodically 'sowed' with green ideas (real and virtual) which would become catalysts for change and exchange. The ideas would be by the people and for the people. The community would nourish and maintain the idea. There would be a sense of pride, competition and festivity. Sometimes these ideas could be about a group of housewives and school children planting seasonal plants to create a kitchen garden or a refreshing gettogether where people dance and sing in public sharing folk tales and knowledge about pressing issues through street plays. On other occassions the community could get together to create an educational installation out of 'waste', demonstrating the need for reuse at a community level. Often these seed spots could become free **performance libraries**, brainstorming areas or public arenas but in a very permeable and informal kind of way. The idea is to create a series of platforms for the community to create thinkers and leaders. It is to create a grass root, bottom up solution where the power is given to the people to discuss their issues and find solutions. It is a kind of reintepretation of creating a public, self sustaining, infinitely multiplying global, urban version of FoAM ! No two seed spots will be the same. They will have their own character, may be their own flags. They might grow over time. They would become reflectors of the community and of the city in general.
-We could start with an attempt to declare spaces within a city as '**community seed spots**'. The idea is inspired by the communal get togethers of village heads called the '//panchayat//' in Indian villages where everyone sits under a tree and discusses village issues. Located in urban public areas, these spots would be periodically sowed with green ideas (real and virtual) which would become catalysts for change and exchange. The ideas would be by the people and for the people. The community would nourish and maintain the idea. There would be a sense of pride, competition and festivity. Sometimes these ideas could be about a group of housewives and school children planting seasonal plants to create a kitchen garden or a refreshing gettogether where people dance and sing in public sharing knowledge about pressing issues through street plays. On other occassions the community could get together to create an educational installation out of 'thrown things', demonstrating the reuse of waste generated by the community. Often these seed spots could become free **performance libraries**, brainstorming areas or public museums but in a very permeable, all encompassing, seamless, informal kind of way. The idea is to create a series of sustainable platforms for the community to create thinkers and leaders. It is to create a grass root, bottom up solution where the power is given to the people to discuss their issues and find solutions to them. It is a kind of reintepretation of creating a public, self sustaining, infinitely multiplying global, urban version of FoAM ! No two seed spots will be the same. They will have their own character, may be their own flags. They might grow over time. They would become reflectors of the community and of the city in general. they could have their own knowledge base which is shared informally and may be formally too.
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-Some questions: What would be the defining feature of such a space? Why does it work in a place like India and not in the West? Can the Indian model be analysed, distilled and reintepreted? Is it the power of the 'myth' in India? Can we create a new myth?
+Some threads worth exploring are: What would be the defining feature of such a space? Why does it work in a place like India? Can the Indian model be analysed, distilled and reintepreted?
+. **Vertical Gardening Experiment**
+This experiment was part of the [[media_ecologies_workshop|x-med-k. Media Ecologies workshop in France.]] It was trigerred by the following questions:
+  * How can we contribute to the place in a constructive, long term manner?
+  * Can we create a productive eco-system? What are the challenges we face in doing the same?
+  * Can we create an eco-system using found objects from the place itself with minimal external ingredients?
+  * How can we let a design evolve through an open-source method in an intuitive, improvisation based manner?
+  * What are the crucial constraints of a vertical gardening system and how can we improve upon it?
+  * Existing systems of vertical gardens are around 30 kg per square metre. Can we reduce this weight?
+The plan was to create a productive skin which seamlessly merges with the surroundings. The only external additions were jute cloth, jute rope and seeds of edible flowers and plants, spinach and peas.
+Day 1: Finding materials. This included finding wooden members and soil from the site to sieve and get clay out of it. The wooden members were used to create a frame for the jute cloth. By the end of Day 1, we had three buckets of soil and a complete frame with jute cloth stiched in place. This was placed on site to acclamatise to the weather. The soil was spread out to dry over the next day.
+Day 2: The site was inspected for sunlight and moisture content. Also the jute cloth was monitored for dampness. Numerous branches were collected from the site to create 3 inch long 'cake stoppers'. These were embedded in the jute cloth to create a layer of vertical reinforcement.
+Day 3: The soil was seived to get a bucket full of clay. This was taken onto the site and mixed with an assorted mix of seeds together with compost and water. The paste was then used to make 'seed cakes' akin to the cow dung cakes made in Indian villages. These were slapped onto the jute cloth and left overnight.
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+Day 4: Water was sprinkled to keep the clay moist.
+The installation will be photographed and documented over the course of nest few weeks by Jan who is the owner of the place.